Runt
by JayBird92
Summary: Sometimes people can be mean. Based on the comic R.U. Screwed by Kimmikala.


Casey looked around. It was strange how the edges of his vision were a little fuzzy. But his attention was quickly diverted as he heard the bell signaling the start of his next high school class.

What did he have next? Dammit, he wasn't sure. But if he was late again, there was no doubt that there would be consequences. Maybe he wouldn't even be allowed to graduate!

"Late again?" He heard a voice sneer from behind him. He turned around to see Liam laughing with a maniacal glint in his eyes. Since when did Liam go to his high school?

"God Sooch, can't you remember anything?" David, a boy from the foot ball team suddenly appeared beside Liam.

"Sooch the pooch, runt of the litter!"

David seemed to tower over him, having reached 6 feet in height while Casey was still hovering at 5 foot 4. His cheeks turned red from the insults, a retort hanging unsaid from his lips. Then David took two huge steps towards Casey, covering the distance between them easily.

"Got something to say, runt?!" Suddenly David shoved Casey back into the lockers, then flipped him around to face away and smashed him face first against the locker's edge, cutting in to his cheek.

Gasping for breath, the shock of the impact made the hallway spin. Casey tried unsuccessfully to get out of David's grip.

"Leave me alone!" he yelled, hoping a teacher would hear him. But then he would still get in trouble for being late to class. There was no way out!

"Awww... Is the little runt going to cry?" David picked him up off the floor by his shirt collar. "Does the little stupid runt want to run away?"

The hallway was still spinning, and Liam started laughing again but it was like there were three of him. Their laughter bounced off the walls, echoed, and came back to physically punch Casey right in the chest.

He couldn't breathe. The edges of his vision went from blurry to an inky black and tendrils reached out to tangle around him. Casey's muscles froze and refused to move, he was trapped in place and whimpering with fear.

Suddenly, the restrictive squeeze around his body changed to a gentle rub on his back.

"Sooch? Sooch! Sweetie. Baby. I'm here."

Slowly Sooch's awareness rose through the levels of black, to grey, to consciousness. A large hand was on his back, rubbing gentle circles in between his shoulder blades. Warm lips were on his forehead whispering words of love and security, and peppering kisses along his eye brows.

_I know this hand_, he thought.

His cheeks were wet with the tears of his nightmare.

"Sooch. I'm here. Everything's ok. Please wake up."

Sooch threw an arm around Howie, hugging him close and burying his face in Howie's neck as he sobbed with relief. They were in their apartment, in their bed. David was just a bad memory.

"I'm ok," Casey exhaled a long shaky breath. "I'm ok" he repeated, his voice a bit clearer.

Feeling more kisses in his hair, the continued circles on his back settled his thoughts. Casey turned his head so that his ear was on Howie's chest and listened to the steady beat of his boyfriend's heart.

"Want to talk about it?"

The soothing _thump thump_ rhythm helped him slow back down his breathing. "Maybe tomorrow?" Casey responded, his eyes felt heavy now that the adrenaline had faded and they started to close of their own accord. "Can you please just keep holding me, until I fall asleep again?"

Howie placed more gentle kisses in Sooch's hair. "If you let me," he whispered, "I'll never stop."

Sighing with contentment, sleep came back over him like a soft blanket. He began to drift off, nestled in Howie's arms and their shared blanket covers. "I love you" Casey breathed, almost so quiet as he crossed back into dreams that Howie would have missed it if his ear hadn't been right above Sooch's mouth.

**xxXXxx**

**A/N**

**T****hese characters were created by Kimmikala for the comic R.U. Screwed. **

**These boys are so cute together! This scene would fall somewhere in between chapter 10 and 11 of the web comic.**


End file.
